Barbie: The Album is finally here and is the bubblegum dream we’ve all been waiting for (Picture: AP / Atlantic Records / getty)
We’ve all been living in a dream world since the film’s press tour kicked off and Barbiemania swept the globe in one glorious swoosh of pink.
All that was missing was the perfect soundtrack to complete the phenomenon and now we have it, it’s an explosion of pop dance hits, genre-bending cross-overs and more musical inclusivity than you could shake a Barbie leg at.
Barbie: The Album is jam-packed with some of the biggest names in the game and its expansive sound makes it potentially the most welcoming film soundtrack ever.
Each track allows the individual artist put their own spin on what Barbie means to them, resulting in a body of work to please everyone – an idea emulated by the film that aimed to create a new cult classic, representing today’s diverse world.
Escapism at its finest, once the headphones are plugged in there’s no going back as one Barbie banger blasts sprinkles of pink melodic dust after another.
Mixing Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Khalid with Tame Impala, HAIM, The Kid LAROI and Billie Eilish – to namedrop just a taste of the royalty involved in this project – production is bigger and bolder than we expected.
The album featured a diverse range of world-class artists (Picture: Atlantic Records)
A theme for whatever Barbie you choose to be that day, this collection hits your ears with a powerful pink sucker punch and puts on an aural feature film of its own from the touch of the play button…
If a colour could be a sound, Lizzo’s Pink is it
Lizzo’s opening gambit, the aptly-titled Pink, has made us realise just how much we love the sound of that colour. We had no idea until now.
The award-winning artist creates a soft twinkling pop tune that mirrors the opening number of a musical and allows the listener’s mind to begin sketching the sparkling spectacle that unfolds through the storybook lyrics.
Her word painting is met with flashy chords that sprinkle pink glitter across your senses, and injects a sense of wonder and whimsicality into a song that is pure Lizzo through and through.
Dua, we’d happily watch you Dance The Night Away – especially in the name of Barbie
A real-life pop princess, there was no doubt Dua Lipa’s name would crop up at some point when a Barbie album was announced – and we are beyond grateful it did.
Dance The Night Away sets the tone for the new era of Barbie with its notes of empowerment and sentiments of unwavering female strength, which Greta Gerwig’s film has by the bucketload.
We would go as far as to dub this the movie’s anthem and, judging by fans’ reactions to its pre-release, we think the majority would agree.
The darker, saucier edge to the night-time tune shows the old Barbie who’s boss, oozing both independence and the main character energy that Margot Robbie and the gang bring to life throughout the film.
Funky, soulful and catchy, the dance track carries the sparkles is laced with a more adult-friendly vibe thanks to its suggestive lyrics – definitely not a song for the kids.
When Nicki Minaj’s Barbie alter ego meets the real deal
One of the soundtrack’s most buxom moments is rapper Nicki’s ingenious take on Aqua’s classic tune – and we can’t get enough of it.
Teaming up with Ice Spice, the pair burst the bubble-gum pink squeaky-clean Barbie motif and opens up the idea to everyone. In essence, Nicki makes Barbie coooool, in a way that only Nicki could.
The hip-hop element, pulsing drum machines and under-laying of the original song completes the necessary nod to nostalgia.
Sam Smith brings the Ken-ergy with potent Man I Am
A welcome surprise, Sam was one of the late artist announcements and, wow, they are fantastically forceful addition.
The first time a male idea is introduced, they play on the old Randy Savage Macho Man and is the perfect balance of chest-puffing and muscle-flexing while nodding to the 80s exercise video phenomena that featured some of that era’s greatest pop hits.
Another groovy dance track with a suave, seductive underbite, Man I Am feels almost like a mating call for ‘sexy and freaky Ken’ to, ahem, go nab his woman.
The deep monotone repetition in the verses of this melodic beast of a song coupled with Sam’s extraordinary vocals in the chorus drive home the take on the stereotypical idea and construct of masculinity. It sounds a bit deep for a Barbie album, but it works.
The soundtrack is nothing short of pink-tastic (Picture: Atlantic Records)
I’m Just Ken is possibly Ryan Gosling’s finest hour
Because starring as Ken just wasn’t enough Barbiemania for the actor, he lent his voice to I’m Just Ken, blowing up the track listing in a way we really, REALLY didn’t expect.
It’s giving this generation’s answer to Zac Efron punching water on a golf course (High School Musical 2 reference for those in the know), and the monologue-esque lyrics coupled with the rocky musical dropped our jaws. Who knew Gosling/Ken had this in him?
Ryan plays Ken in the highly-anticipated film (Picture: Jaap Buitendijk)
Guitar riffs, electric motifs, jazzy drums, upbeat gritty vocals (again, Gosling, we’re surprised with you), and a complex composition means the listener never really knows where the piece is going, but not in a disarming way.
It’s an epic ballad that just keeps growing and ends on a massive belt from this era’s Ken, who has already captured our hearts forevermore.
Billie’s got us all crying with beautiful What Was I Made For?
Even though we didn’t know it outwardly, I think we all knew, deep down, that we needed a Billie x Barbie collab. One of the only slow moments on the soundtrack, this is an absolutely stunning track and one of the most beautiful of 2023, hands down.
Massively trumping her Bond moment (in our humble opinion), the pop prodigy’s high, wispy register glides across the ear, provoking goosebumps with every flawless note.
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The ultimate tune to get you in the feels, What Was I Made For? is breathtaking with harmonies that melt like honey and a piano backing that relieves from the rest of the album’s potent, punchy line-up.
Billie’s addition injects vulnerability to the Barbie experience and powerfully echoes the pressures we all feel to be perfect. It’s stunning, it’s raw and it’s Billie all over. Barbie would be most proud!
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C’mon Barbie, we’ll definitely party to this star-studded soundtrack!
